Fast Forward
by Skylark Starflower
Summary: Five hours passed between Acronix leaving the monastery after his fight with Wu and the ninja, and his arrival at the museum. What was he doing in all that time? And just how did he find his brother in the first place?


Authors Note/Disclaimer: I don't own Ninjago, blah blah blah.

Good grief, I can't seem to get anything done fast these days. Whoops. Anyway, this was originally supposed to just be silliness about Acronix wasting time in the city before finding his brother at the end of the first episode, after my friend Shiny pointed out that several hours passed between him leaving the monastery and arriving at the museum. Then it became something else entirely. And I threw in an explanation for just HOW Acronix found Krux in the first place, since I really doubt the two had time to plan a complex rendezvous as they were jumping into the time stream… :B

Also, there are some hints here about the background I've made up for the twins. Maybe someday I'll get around to actually writing something about it, so it'll make more sense. :D

" **Fast Forward"  
** **By Skylark Starflower  
** **Started October 11th, 2017  
** **Finished May 17th, 2018**

Acronix made his way down the old monastery's stairs, turning back only once. Smoke, thick and black, still billowed from the scorched remains. He wasn't really sure how to feel about it.

For several years of his life, before the battle was fought that flung him so far in the future, he and his brother had called the monastery home. He didn't know what had transpired in the years in between, but seeing it fall to ruin now only brought up mixed feelings.

After a moment, he pushed them aside, telling himself he really didn't care. Spotting the ninja, scrabbling about, desperate to find their old sensei, he turned to leave. He gave his head a shake as a stray thought filtered through. He didn't care if the ninja found Wu or not, he told himself, just like he didn't care about seeing one of the few places from his early life where he'd truly felt safe, destroyed.

Either way, he didn't have time to dally about here. The ninja thought they'd killed him, so letting them spot him now would be counterproductive. Plus, Krux was waiting for him, the two having agreed to meet in the city if they were to be separated, and his brother was notoriously picky about punctuality.

Acronix hurried off in the direction of Ninjago City.

X X X

With careful use of the Time Blade, Acronix reached the city in roughly twenty minutes; instead of the several hours' unaided trek. As he approached, before he could even see the buildings for the trees still surrounding him, he couldn't help but notice how bright everything seemed to be. It was late in the evening, the sun already set. The stars should be out by now, but he could only see a handful. Where was all this light coming from?

The trees fell away, becoming a flat expanse of field that led into the city proper. Acronix felt his jaw drop open at the sight. He had never seen anything like it before. The buildings stretched high into the heavens, everything bathed in a rainbow of colours from various neon signs and light posts. The city was so much bigger and brighter that he remembered, and he had just been there less than a week ago!

Acronix slipped the Time Blade behind his cape and walked slowly into the New Ninjago City limits, overwhelmed by the flashing lights, colours and noise. He didn't know whether or not to be thrilled or terrified by it all. He allowed himself to be swept up by a crowd, all thoughts of finding his brother dashed from his mind as he took in everything he could. It was downright fascinating, and he wanted to see it all. Plus, he didn't really know where to even begin looking for his brother, now that the city was so large. Neither of them had expected to be separated through time, their plan simply existing as 'meet up in the city'.

At first, he just looked around. It might be possible to find some clue to his brother's whereabouts while doing so. In all seriousness, if Wu knew when and where Acronix was arriving, surely his brother did, too? Why didn't he come?

He expected to be angry about it, but instead, it just made him worry. What if Krux wasn't here…?

The thought put a major damper on his mood. No longer was the idea of exploring the city quite so enticing. He had to find Krux, the sooner the better. Krux had to be here somewhere, or else everything the two had done up to this point would be for naught.

He was uneasy now that he'd gotten it into his head that Krux could be dead for all he knew. He had no idea what happened to him after they were separated by the time vortex. The city was much bigger than it had been in the past; he knew time had passed, but not how much. Fifty years? One hundred? Two hundred? What if Krux had gone backwards, and died years before the two were even born?

Anxious and distracted, he wasn't paying attention to where he was going, and walked into someone, nearly dragging the both of them down. Instead, he felt strong, scaly hands grip his shoulders as a tail wrapped about his midsection, helping him balance.

"Whoa, there. What's got you so riled up you can't watch where you're going?" The voice was sibilant. It didn't sound angry as much as amused.

Acronix started and pulled away as he realised the person holding him was Serpentine. It was just as well he had lost his weapon at the monastery, or he would have drawn it now as he was overtaken by a wave of panic.

The snake was just as surprised by his reaction and let go, resulting in Acronix losing his balance and falling on his butt. The snake didn't try to touch him again, possibly recognizing a panic attack when he saw one. Instead, he waited until Acronix's breathing calmed before speaking again.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Acronix snapped, perhaps coming off a bit angrier than intended. He forced himself to his feet, frowning at the black Constrictai. "I thought the Serpentine were entombed?"

The snake stared at him strangely. "You been living under a rock, pal? We were set free years ago."

"Why would anyone do that?"

The Serpentine was silent for a moment, and Acronix almost began to regret his words. Almost. He was a snake, after all, and snakes were the enemy…right? He was surprised when the serpent began to laugh.

"Man, you really HAVE been living under a rock, haven't you?" He held out a hand. "I'm Chokson."

Acronix considered the proffered hand but chose not to take it. Still, he replied, "…Acronix."

Chokson withdrew his hand, his expression still mildly amused. "You seem lost. Need some help?"

Acronix didn't reply right away. Chokson didn't seem to mean any harm, but he couldn't help but be wary. The last time he'd dealt with Serpentine was during the war, and that hadn't ended particularly well for him. Plus, he couldn't really see how Chokson _could_ help, even if he did take him up on his offer.

Still, Acronix couldn't help noticing how no one was fleeing in terror at the sight of him, so something must have happened to exonerate the Serpentine in the past few years. And someone who knew the place could be advantageous…

"I'm looking for my brother, but I don't know where to find him," Acronix replied eventually. "We have been separated for many years, and we were to meet up in the city, but he never specified where. And this place is much…bigger than I last remember."

"Hoo, yeah. That's a pretty tall order." Chokson flicked his tongue, looking about. "Your brother got a name? You could try askin' 'round. Maybe someone knows him?"

"I doubt it. My brother is not really a people person." While it wasn't a complete lie, Acronix wasn't about to admit that Krux was most likely keeping a low profile, and as such, was probably going by an assumed name. Asking around using his real name would be pointless.

The more he thought about the situation, the more Acronix realised how unlikely it would be to find Krux without causing some sort of commotion to draw his attention. He ruled it out, knowing it was a bad idea.

"You really don't want to make this easy, do you?" Chokson said with a grin. "Well, come on. I'll help you look, if you still want."

"May as well," Acronix replied, perhaps a little more petulantly than intended. Chokson didn't seem to notice.

Acronix didn't know why he was so willing to trust Chokson, even going so far as to tell him Krux's name as the two headed down the street. For some reason, though, Chokson's manner put him at ease. The snake was charming, in his own way. Still, Krux would throw a fit if Acronix's effort to find him ended up blowing his cover. He just hoped the risk was worth it.

Chokson lead Acronix downtown, the two stopping to ask passersby about Krux on occasion, but to no avail. No one had heard of him. Acronix couldn't help feeling a little disheartened, even if he had expected this outcome. He was almost ready to give up, letting Chokson ask around for him as he just looked about.

Acronix couldn't even gauge how much time had passed based on how far the city had come since he last saw it. He thought about asking Chokson, but decided against it. The Serpentine already thought he was crazy enough. It didn't help his case when the two arrived at the electronics store.

At first, Acronix didn't even understand what he was looking at, assuming it was just several strange mirrors. Then he overheard a mother and her small daughter.

"Look, Becky! You're on television!"

The little girl couldn't have been much older than five. She looked at the bank of televisions and gasped. "That's so cool, Mommy!" She made a silly face and laughed, before waving at herself and heading off down the street with her mother.

Chokson was several feet ahead, asking yet another unhelpful bystander about Krux. When he rejoined Acronix, he found him examining the televisions with interest, trying to figure out how his image was appearing on all the screens.

"What's the matter?" Chokson asked. "Never seen a TV before?"

Acronix answered truthfully without thinking. "No."

"Geez. You one of them folks that eschews technology?"

Acronix continued to study the televisions as he considered his reply. "The village I come from doesn't have a lot of technology," he said eventually. Again, he wasn't really lying.

Chokson favoured him with a half-smile. "Ah, backwater. Now I understand." He clapped a hand on Acronix's shoulder – this time he didn't flinch – the two began to walk again. "I have to admit, I was probably just as confused when I first got here. I was born in the tomb, and my dad says there wasn't much in the way of all this tech back before the war."

"Oh. Did he fight in the war?"

"Yeah. Said it was a right nasty time, and he hopes nothing like it ever happens again."

"So I've heard." Acronix had enough presence of mind to not reveal his own participation in the war. He wasn't nearly old enough to look the part now.

"Anyway, ain't no use focusing on that. We've got your brother to find."

The two spent another fruitless half hour asking around. By the end, Acronix's frustration was clear. He threw up his hands, growling angrily before kicking a nearby trash can. It was rooted to the ground, so he only ended up hurting his foot, which in turn upset him even more.

"Whoa, whoa, hey!" Chokson help up his hands in an attempt to pacify Acronix, his tongue flicking nervously as he glanced about at the people who turned to stare. "No need for that!"

"This is useless!" Acronix crossed his arms, glaring. "We're never going to find him!"

"Maybe not like this, no," Chokson admitted. He reached into a pouch on the belt he was wearing as he continued. "We need to change tack. But for now, you need to calm down, okay?"

With that, he handed Acronix a small device. The only thing Acronix felt like doing was throwing it, but he managed to contain himself. Instead, he snapped, 'What's this?"

Shaking his head, Chokson looked like he couldn't believe the question. "It's a cell phone. Go ahead, pick a game. You obviously need a break."

After he watched Acronix struggle to turn it on, he sighed and showed him how it worked. Soon, Acronix was absorbed in a game of smashing digital candies, forgetting his worries temporarily. Chokson let him play for a while, occasionally checking the time on a fob watch he kept in the same pouch as his phone.

"Hey. I've got to go meet my dad at that coffee shop across the way." He pointed to a store down and across the street. "Shouldn't take long. Didja want something while I'm there?"

Acronix was barely paying attention, so absorbed in the game he had his tongue sticking out in concentration. "Surprise me."

Chokson laughed. "Sure thing. See ya in a few."

Acronix didn't reply as the snake walked off, continuing to play the game. Beating a level, he waited for the inevitable ad to pop up so he could dismiss it and return to his game. This time it was an advertisement for something called "The Hall of Villainy" at the Ninjago City Museum. He scoffed and was about to exit out when a name caught his eye. He stopped and stared.

Dr. Saunders.

"It couldn't be…" Acronix looked up; about to ask Chokson a question before realising the snake wasn't there. It took a moment for Acronix to remember what had been said. He looked down the street. There was Chokson, talking animatedly with another Constrictai, this one orange and grey in colour and a lot less bulky. It must be his father.

Acronix couldn't help a wistful smile as he watched the two hug goodbye. Chokson's father moved away, heading around a corner and disappearing from sight. Acronix's smile faded before Chokson reached him.

"Here." The snake handed him a cup.

Acronix took it and sniffed, momentarily forgetting about the ad. "What's this?"

"Cappuccino. It's okay if you don't like it."

Acronix took a sip. It was unlike anything he had ever tasted before. He wasn't usually fond of bitter, but there was so much sugar offsetting it, he barely noticed. It was actually pretty good.

"I like it. Thank you." Acronix took another sip. "That was your father? You don't look anything alike."

Chokson grinned crookedly. "I take after my mom."

Acronix's attention was drawn back to the phone as it made a pinging noise.

"Oh, that's just a text. Don't worry about it."

Luckily for Acronix, the ad was still on the screen, so he held it up, showing it to Chokson. "Actually, I wanted to ask you something. Do you know the museum curator, Dr. Saunders?"

"Not personally. Why, do you?"

"I'm not sure. The name is familiar. Dr. Saunders was an old friend of the family but I don't know if this is him or not." Now Acronix was lying through his teeth, but the truth wouldn't be particularly helpful in this situation.

"Gimmie my phone for a minute."

Acronix handed him the phone. Chokson checked his text first, and for a brief flash, Acronix noticed his expression harden, just long enough that he wasn't certain of what he actually saw. Then Chokson brought up another screen, typed 'Dr. Saunders' into the search bar and found an image. He showed it to Acronix.

There was little doubt in Acronix's mind now. The silly haircut, the ridiculous, bushy moustache… Even the name Sander Saunders. He was a little taken aback to see his brother without the family eye paint, but he supposed it would be necessary to his disguise. Honestly, it was the best cover. No one would suspect a thing, except for his brother, who had played the game with him as a child.

"Look familiar?"

Acronix nodded. "That is him. Do you think you could show me the way to the museum? If anyone would know where to find my brother, he would."

"Sure, this way."

The museum was another half hour away, but at least Acronix was fairly certain his brother would be at the end of the trip.

It had never occurred to him to think his brother would use the old moniker he'd gone by in their games as children. Dr. Sander Saunders, explorer extraordinaire, and his trusty guide – as played by Acronix – Nick Concord. The two had whiled away many of the days exploring the woods near their childhood home as these characters. Krux must have chosen the disguise, knowing Acronix would recognize it.

The two walked in silence, sipping at their respective drinks. An air of awkwardness fell over the two, though Acronix didn't really understand why. He snuck a glance at Chokson.

After everything he had done during the Serpentine War, and everything that had happened to him as a result, he never expected to befriend a snake. If they even were friends. He barely knew Chokson; they'd only just met a few hours ago. At the same time, the thought of never seeing him again made Acronix, well, sad. He took another drink and tried not to let it show.

Eventually, the two arrived at the large courtyard leading to the museum. Between the two, neither of them had really considered the time, and it wasn't until now that they both realised just how late it was.

"It's going to be closed now, isn't it?" asked Acronix. He didn't know what he was going to do if he had to wait until morning after everything he'd gone through to get here.

"Nah, the night watchman is cool. If you ask him and the curator is here, he'll probably let you in," replied Chokson.

"Ah."

There was a brief, uncomfortable silence. "Did you want me to wait until you find out?"

Another moment of silence. "Okay."

Still, neither of them moved, going quiet again. Eventually, Acronix crossed his arms and huffed. "I guess this is goodbye."

"Hmm." Chokson looked thoughtful for a moment before reaching into his pouch, pulling out a scrap of paper and a pen. He scribbled something on the paper before handing it to Acronix. "Here, so we can keep in touch."

Acronix took it and looked at it. It contained a string of seven digits and the words 'Chokson at Ninjagonet dot com.' He had no idea what any of it meant, but he didn't want to admit it. Instead, he nodded and pocketed the paper.

"Thanks."

Before he knew what was happening, Acronix found himself drawn into a tight hug. For a moment, he just stood there, too surprised to react. Eventually, he raised his arms and returned it.

For the longest time, it didn't seem like Chokson was going to release him, and honestly, Acronix would have been fine with that. The serpent's hug was surprisingly warm and welcoming. Acronix couldn't remember the last time he'd been hugged like this – Krux was never much for physical affection, and Acronix had always shied away from Wu and the other Elemental Masters.

Acronix almost didn't let go when he felt Chokson begin to pull away. The snake grinned at him crookedly.

"Call me sometime, 'kay? Now, go find your brother."

Acronix had no idea what 'call me' meant, but he couldn't help smiling back. He nodded before turning and walking to the museum's big front door. He tried it, but it was locked – no surprise there. He knocked.

After a moment, he heard a lock click and the door creaked open. An older man with a flashlight poked his head out. "Yes, can I help you?"

"Is Dr. Saunders here? I'd like to speak with him."

"Name?"

Acronix told him and then waited as the night watchman had a conversation with someone over a device Acronix didn't recognize. He did, however, recognize the voice coming from it, even if it did sound a little different than he remembered. He was certain now that he had found his brother.

He turned back to Chokson, the snake still waiting, even though he'd only promised to stick around until Acronix talked to the night watchman. He waved to him.

Chokson smiled in return, flashing Acronix a thumbs up before waving back. Then he turned to leave. Acronix watched him walk away until the night watchman tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.

"Dr. Saunders says you can come in."

X X X

The darkened museum was creepy. Acronix made his way through the halls, following the directions from the watchman. Why Krux couldn't just come upstairs to meet him, he had no idea. Distracted by his annoyance, he nearly walked into the Grundle skeleton, scaring himself so badly he involuntarily pulled up his hood in preparation for fighting. He grunted when he realised his mistake, but left his hood up – as if to say he meant to do that – and continued on. It didn't take him long to arrive after that.

It was strange for Acronix to see his brother in disguise, and stranger still to see how much he had aged since Acronix had last seen him. Especially since, as far Acronix was concerned, that was only a few hours ago.

Seeing his brother so old now only served to distress Acronix, but he was still happy to see him. Even when Krux, still wearing his Dr. Saunders getup, turned to him as he arrived and demanded, "Where have you been?" He even used the ridiculous voice he'd used as a child.

"Sorry I'm late. Ninja trouble." Acronix pushed back his hood. "Things have changed since I was last in Ninjago."

He decided not to mention Chokson at all. Krux hadn't been terribly fond of Serpentine even before the war – he didn't know how Krux would react finding out Acronix had help from one now. Instead, he put on his trademark smirk, and stayed silent, pretending nothing was wrong as he watched his brother shed his disguise (how on Ninjago did he fit it on over his armour like that?) and quickly reapply his eye markings, removing the dark contacts hiding his golden eyes.

Acronix had so many questions he wanted to ask, but instead of opening his mouth to ask them, he found himself raising his arms for a hug. He had no idea if Krux would even go for it, but it was done now. He was committed to his action.

To his surprise, Krux reciprocated, and the two fell into a warm, if brief, hug. Still, it was more than Acronix had expected and he gladly accepted it.

Once they drew apart, Krux placed his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Indeed they have," he replied, "brother."

The smile on Krux's face told Acronix that he wasn't just talking about the city. He really hoped he wasn't talking about his age…

"Anyway, I'll explain the plan tomorrow. For now, we should get some rest. I imagine it's been a long day for you."

The funny thing was that, while what Krux was saying was true, Acronix felt wide awake. He wasn't sure if it had anything to do with the strange, buzzing giddiness he was also feeling, or if that was just from finding his brother. He didn't realize that it was the caffeine from the cappuccino earlier.

He ended up spending the night tossing and turning, alternating between feeling wide awake and that state where one is too tired to sleep. It didn't help much that Krux got him up early the next morning.

Yawning and blinking wearily, he dragged himself out of bed and followed his brother to another room, where Krux had set up a rather fancy breakfast. There was a selection of scrambled eggs, toast, bacon, sausage and even pancakes: pretty much everything Acronix loved. To see it, you'd almost think Krux had missed his brother! It was unfortunate that Acronix was feeling too gross to appreciate it.

Krux noticed Acronix picking at his meal and frowned. "What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing," Acronix replied. He yawned again. "Just tired…"

"We've got a long day ahead of us, so you had better wake up." Krux walked over to an odd device Acronix didn't recognize and switched it on, muttering something Acronix didn't catch. "I'll make coffee."

"Hmm…"

Acronix watched as the machine started to gurgle before dispensing a dark liquid. His eyes went wide with wonder. Krux noticed and couldn't help a chuckle.

"It's just a coffee maker," Krux said. "It's not as good as making it the proper way, but I will admit it is faster. And I do not wish to waste time today."

Just as Krux said, it wasn't long before he had two steaming mugs of coffee ready. He set one in front of Acronix before sitting down at the table himself.

Acronix picked up the mug and sniffed it. The smell reminded him of the cappuccino from last night, but it wasn't as sweet. He took a sip and nearly spat it back out.

Krux rolled his eyes as he drank his own. "If you don't like it black, put some sugar in it. Don't be stupid."

Acronix scowled. "Cappuccino is better," he muttered as he scooped sugar into the cup.

Krux looked up. "When did you have a cappuccino?"

Too late, Acronix realized his mistake. He didn't really want to tell Krux about yesterday, but the expression on his brother's face told him he wasn't going to let it go until he had the truth. Stalling, Acronix took another sip of his coffee and made a face. It was a bit better, but still too bitter for his taste. Krux cleared his throat, impatient.

"Fine," Acronix spat. "I had some help finding you. He got it for me." He omitted the details, hoping his brother wouldn't ask.

Krux raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Acronix scowled again. "How would I know where to find you? This isn't the city I used to know."

"Fair enough." Krux shrugged. "As long as no one figures us out, I suppose it is okay."

Acronix didn't reply, surprised by his brother's apparent mellowness. He took another gulp of his coffee, trying not to wince at the taste. It seemed Krux had changed in the past forty years, which Acronix now knew had passed.

The two ate in silence for a few minutes before Acronix remembered the paper with Chokson's information on it. He pulled it out of his pocket and showed it to Krux. "Brother, do you know what this is?"

Krux took the paper and examined it. "Oh, it's just a phone number and an e-mail address. We have no use for these."

Before Acronix could stop him, Krux tore the paper into pieces and tossed them into a nearby trash bin.

Acronix felt like he had been punched in the gut. He didn't really know what a phone number or e-mail address was, but he could figure out that they were a way of future communication. His friend had given him a way to contact him again, and now his brother had destroyed it.

The loss hurt, but even more so, the fact that Krux would be so dismissive of his stuff. Krux had never treated Acronix's belongings with such disrespect before.

Krux looked at him oddly. "What?"

Several thoughts ran through Acronix's head; how he wanted to reply, but in the end, he chose not to say any of them, instead glowering at the table. "Nothing."

"It's not nothing. You're clearly upset. So what is it?"

Acronix drank the rest of his coffee, barely noticing the taste this time. His head was starting to feel kind of weird and buzzy, just like the night before. He didn't much like it. "That was mine…"

"Oh, that? I said we have no use for it. Today's technology isn't worth the material it's made of, trust me."

Acronix wasn't sure exactly what Krux was talking about, but if this technology he was referring to had anything to do with the things he had seen while searching for Krux, then he already disagreed. He said nothing.

Krux frowned. Apparently his brother was still sore at him. He huffed. "Here."

Acronix grew confused, staring at the small pile of coins Krux dropped in front of him. "What's this?"

Krux shrugged. "I need to get things ready, but it's going to take some time. I can't see you being much help, and I don't need you getting underfoot. So, I don't know, go buy yourself something from the gift shop. It'll make you feel better."

Acronix glared, but snapped up the coins and left. He didn't much care for his brother's company right now, anyway. Krux had never been the most outwardly kind person, but now, Acronix could see the difference between his brother from the past and the person he seemed to be now all too easily, and he really didn't like it.

Sulking, but feeling strangely energetic, he made his way to the gift shop anyhow. He might as well spend the money his brother had tried to placate him with. Upon arrival, he started to look around, finding that many of the things he had known from his youth were now considered relics of a bygone era, and he didn't really know how he felt about it.

Distracted by an odd sense of nostalgia, he didn't really notice the other people milling about around him until someone tapped him on the shoulder. Turning, he found himself face to face with a familiar Serpentine. Buzzed as he was on coffee, he nearly jumped out of his skin.

Chokson laughed. "Whoa, calm down! Wahdidya do, chug a whole pot of espresso?"

Acronix didn't really know what espresso was, but he didn't let that stop him from replying, "Sure feels like it." He smiled. "What are you doing here?"

"The truth? I was looking for you. Wanted to see if you found your brother okay."

Acronix's expression darkened. "I did, but he's being a jerk right now."

"Aw, man, that's rough." Chokson led Acronix away from the overly excited children that were surrounding them, to a less crowded section of the gift shop. He pulled a roughly book-shaped package from one of the larger pouches on his belt and handed it to Acronix. "Here, this is for you."

Acronix took it, startled. "What's this?"

"It's a present, stupid. Open it," Chokson said, grinning.

Peeling back the brown paper wrap, Acronix revealed…something. "Thanks, but…what is it?"

Chokson laughed heartily. "I knew it. I KNEW you'd have no idea! It's a Borg Pad. I realized, after I gave you my contact information, that you might not have any way to use it, so I got you this. Hope you don't mind I already set it up for you. I'll show you how it works, but we should probably go somewhere quieter."

The two left the gift shop, Chokson leading Acronix outside to one of the benches out front. Here it was much quieter and less crowded. The two sat down on one of the empty benches before Chokson launched into an in-depth explanation of Acronix's new tablet and all of its features. He had gone to the trouble of loading Candy Smash onto it, plus a few other games he thought Acronix might like. He had even gone so far as to put some music on it.

"Though I admit, I don't know what kind you like, so I just put a random sampling on there. Feel free to delete anything you don't like," Chokson concluded.

All throughout Chokson's walkthrough of the device, Acronix's expression became more and more mischievous. Now he chuckled rather evilly. "I know exactly what I'm going to do with this."

"Sounds like you've got some evil plans."

"Just a bit of payback for my brother. But I will tell you all about it later, if you wish."

"Looking forward to it, my friend."

The two stood, and as Acronix expected, Chokson drew him into another tight hug, which he readily returned. After a moment, they pulled apart.

"Thank you for this," Acronix said, brandishing his new tablet. "I'm going to really delight in driving my brother nuts with it."

Chokson grinned again. "Sounds good. For now, farewell my friend."

As Chokson turned to leave, Acronix turned and headed back inside to annoy his brother.

 **The End**

EDIT Authors note: Dang it, FFN. Why do you have to be this way? The email was fake. You just deleted part of my story. THANKS FOR THAT. (I fixed it in the I Had To Write Out The Words format. Bleah.)


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